Starting tour on a high vital for Boks

Just how far Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks have come over the past few months will be laid bare against England at Twickenham this afternoon. The England Test is an interesting one. Both teams are not at full strength as the fixture is outside the international window. Both teams have untried combinations. But it does give both coaches a chance to experiment a little less than a year before the World Cup in Japan.

The Springboks blew hot and cold during the Rugby Championship. They surprised everyone when they beat the mighty All Blacks in Wellington and came close to repeating the double at Loftus, only to let a big lead slip in the final moments.

They beat Australia well in Port Elizabeth but slipped up against Argentina away from home and should have beaten the Wallabies in Brisbane.

England are also in a rebuilding phase after coach Eddie Jones’ red-hot start to the job, when he led them to 17 straight matches, went cold. This year they finished fifth in the Six Nations and lost three consecutive matches for the first time since 2014. They also lost 2-1 to the Boks in June. Starting on a high is crucial for South Africa if they are to have a successful end-of-year tour. A loss will put added pressure on Erasmus and company.